What This Bill Does · Plain English
Summary · Congress.gov
Pell to Grad Act This bill raises from 12 to 16 the total number of semesters during which a student may receive a Pell Grant. It also allows income-eligible graduate students who received Pell Grants during their undergraduate education to utilize their remaining Pell Grant eligibility toward their first graduate degree, subject to this 16-semester duration limit. Currently, Pell Grants are available only to undergraduate students, subject to the 12-semester duration limit.
Action Timeline
2025-02-26
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
2025-02-26
Introduced in House
2025-02-26
Introduced in House
Frequently Asked Questions
Did HR.1635 pass?
HR.1635 is still alive. Current stage: COMMITTEE. Pass likelihood: 32%.
What does HR.1635 do?
Pell to Grad Act This bill raises from 12 to 16 the total number of semesters during which a student may receive a Pell Grant. It also allows income-eligible graduate students who received Pell Grants during their undergraduate education to utilize their remaining Pell Grant eligibility toward their first graduate degree, subject to this 16-semester duration limit. Currently, Pell Grants are available only to undergraduate students, subject to the 12-semester duration limit.
Who sponsored HR.1635?
HR.1635 was sponsored by Haley M. Stevens (D-Michigan).
Full Bill Text
119 HR 1635 IH: Pell to Grad Act U.S. House of Representatives 2025-02-26 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. I 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1635 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 26, 2025 Ms. Stevens (for herself and Mr. Gomez ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce A BILL To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to increase the period of eligibility for Federal Pell Grants, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Pell to Grad Act . 2. Period of eligibility for grants Section 401 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1070a ) is amended— (1) in subsection (b)(8)(A), by inserting or as a postbaccalaureate student in accordance with subsection (d)(1), after as an undergraduate, ; (2) in subsection (d)— (A) by amending paragraph (1) to read as follows: (1) The period during which a student may receive Federal Pell Grants shall be the period required for the completion of the first undergraduate baccalaureate course of study being pursued by that student at the institution at which the student is in attendance except that— (A) any period during which the student is enrolled in a noncredit or remedial course of study, as described in paragraph (2), shall not be counted for the purpose of this paragraph; and (B) the period during which a student may receive Federal Pell Grants shall also include the period required for the completion of the first postbaccalaureate course of study at an eligible institution that is an institution of higher education as defined in section 101, in a case in which— (i) the student received a Federal Pell Grant during the period required for the completion of the student’s first undergraduate baccalaureate course of study for at least 1 but fewer than 16 semesters, or the equivalent of at least 1 but fewer than 16 semesters, as determined under paragraph (5); (ii) the student would otherwise be eligible for a Federal Pell Grant, but for the completion of such baccalaureate course of study; and (iii) the period during which the student receives Federal Pell Grants does not exceed the student’s duration limits under paragraph (5). ; and (B) in paragraph (5)(A), by striking 12 each place it appears and inserting 16 .
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